Team Asuma, also known as Team 10, is a generation in the Ino–Shika–Chō Trio (いの しか ちょうトリオ, Ino–Shika–Chō Torio). As such, the three team members are good friends and have exceptional team work, although they tend to bicker from time to time. All three members of Team 10 are skilled at stalling opponents. They were led by Asuma until his death in Part II. Kakashi led them temporarily after that to help them avenge Asuma's death. The team is assumed to still be active, although without a permanent leader.

Known Missions

In a joint mission with Team 7, Team 10 was deployed to save the granddaughter of a village headman who was taken hostage by a bandit leader named Baji. Allowing himself to be held captive so he can know the location of the hostages, Shikamaru enabled Ino and Chōji to locate his position so they can free the hostages and defeat the bandits.

When Asuma died fighting the Akatsuki member Hidan, the three swore revenge and stayed together under the name "Team 10", albeit without a jōnin commander. When they prepared to depart on the day the duo had promised to return, Tsunade, however, objected to them recklessly seeking revenge even with Shikamaru's plan, and forbade them from undertaking the mission. However, Kakashi Hatake opted to lead the squad on this mission. The team's revenge was consummated with the defeat of Hidan whom Shikamaru trapped within the Nara Clan Forest, and Kakuzu's death, with backup from the rest of Team Kakashi.

Trivia

Asuma gave all three of his students a pair of silver knob earrings,[2] as part of a tradition where a Sarutobi gives the members of the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi clans earrings when they are promoted to the rank of chūnin.[3]

The name "Ino–Shika–Chō" is a reference to a card combination in the Hanafuda card game, Koi-Koi; Inoshikachō uses the Boar (猪, Ino), the Deer (鹿, Shika), and the Butterfly (蝶, Chō).